Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AI 15 005
Apply for RFA AI 15 005
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Molecular Mechanisms of Combination Adjuvants (MMCA)(U01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.855 Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research 93.856 Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 10, 2015 and posted on Feb 10, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 9, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $4,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $350,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities County governments Private institutions of higher education Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Special district governments State governments For profit organizations other than small businesses Independent school districts Public and State controlled institutions of higher education City or township governments Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Small businesses Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs) Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government Faith based or Community based Organizations Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Molecular Mechanisms of Combination Adjuvants (MMCA) (U01) funding opportunity (RFA-AI-15-005) is a National Institutes of Health grant announcement from NIAID focused on understanding how combinations of vaccine adjuvants work at a mechanistic level. Rather than funding the discovery of entirely new adjuvants from scratch, this FOA is aimed at studies that deliberately pair two or more adjuvants that already have evidence of immune-enhancing activity when used individually, whether in licensed vaccines or in experimental or candidate vaccine formulations. The central idea is to take adjuvants that have already been identified and characterized to some degree, combine them in rational ways, and then carefully define what the immune system is doing differently when they are used together.
The scientific purpose is to characterize the immune-stimulating activity of these combination adjuvants and to explain their mechanism(s) of action. In practice, that means applicants are expected to move beyond simply reporting that a combination increases antibody titers or T cell responses and instead generate evidence about pathways, cell types, innate sensors, signaling networks, and downstream immune programming that account for the combined effect. The FOA also highlights a practical vaccine-development motivation: improving immunogenicity while addressing reactogenicity concerns. In other words, the work is intended to support adjuvant combinations that can produce stronger or better-quality protective immune responses without unacceptable local or systemic inflammatory side effects, which is often a limiting factor in adjuvant selection for human use.
This opportunity uses a Cooperative Agreement mechanism (U01), which signals that NIAID expects substantial involvement in coordinating or steering aspects of the funded research so it aligns with the institute's broader adjuvant research priorities. Compared with a standard investigator-initiated grant, a cooperative agreement typically implies more programmatic coordination, shared objectives, and interaction with NIAID staff to help ensure that projects generate mechanistic insights that are comparable, usable, and strategically valuable across the overall portfolio.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary funding opportunity in the health category, listed under CFDA 93.855 (Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research) and 93.856 (Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research). The FOA was posted February 10, 2015, with an original and final application due date of July 9, 2015, and it was archived August 9, 2015. The estimated total funding level was about $4,000,000, with an award ceiling of $350,000. No cost sharing or matching was required.
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic and non-domestic organizations. Eligible applicants listed include federal, state, county, city/township, and special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) organizations); for-profit organizations (including entities other than small businesses and small businesses); independent school districts; public and Indian housing authorities; and a wide range of tribal and minority-serving organizations. Additional eligible groups explicitly mentioned include foreign (non-U.S.) entities, U.S. territories or possessions, regional organizations, faith-based or community-based organizations, and several categories of minority-serving institutions such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISIs, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities.
Overall, the MMCA (U01) FOA is best understood as a targeted effort to translate prior investment in single-adjuvant research into a more advanced, mechanistically grounded understanding of adjuvant synergy (or other types of interaction) when adjuvants are combined. The expected payoff is actionable knowledge that helps vaccine developers choose and optimize adjuvant pairings to achieve stronger, more appropriate immune responses with a better balance between potency and tolerability. For the full archived announcement and details, the FOA points to the NIH Guide link at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AI-15-005.html and provides NIH OER webmaster contacts for access or technical issues.
FAQs: Molecular Mechanisms of Combination Adjuvants (MMCA) (U01) - RFA-AI-15-005
What is the MMCA (U01) funding opportunity?
The Molecular Mechanisms of Combination Adjuvants (MMCA) (U01) funding opportunity (RFA-AI-15-005) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant announcement from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). It focuses on understanding, in detail, how combinations of vaccine adjuvants work and why they may perform differently together than when used individually.
What is the main scientific goal of this FOA?
The main goal is to characterize the immune-stimulating activity of combination adjuvants and explain their mechanism(s) of action. Projects are expected to generate mechanistic evidence about how the immune system is being engaged by the combination, including the pathways, innate sensors, signaling networks, cell types involved, and downstream immune programming that account for the combined effect.
Is this FOA meant to fund discovery of entirely new adjuvants?
No. This FOA is not aimed at discovering entirely new adjuvants from scratch. It is aimed at studies that deliberately combine two or more adjuvants that already have evidence of immune-enhancing activity when used individually (for example, in licensed vaccines or in experimental/candidate vaccine formulations).
What kinds of adjuvant combinations does the FOA emphasize?
The FOA emphasizes rationally designed combinations of two or more adjuvants that already have some level of prior identification and characterization. The intent is to pair them deliberately and then define what changes immunologically when they are used together.
What is meant by a "mechanistic" study in this context?
In this FOA, "mechanistic" means moving beyond reporting outcomes like higher antibody titers or stronger T cell responses. Applicants are expected to explain how and why the combination produces its effects, using evidence tied to mechanisms such as innate immune sensing, signaling cascades, key immune cell populations, and the nature of immune programming triggered by the adjuvant pairing.
Does the FOA care about both immunogenicity and reactogenicity?
Yes. The FOA highlights a practical vaccine-development motivation: improving immunogenicity while addressing reactogenicity concerns. This reflects interest in combinations that can produce stronger or better-quality protective immune responses without unacceptable local or systemic inflammatory side effects.
What funding mechanism is used and what does it imply?
This opportunity uses a Cooperative Agreement mechanism (U01). A U01 indicates that NIAID expects substantial involvement in coordinating or steering aspects of the funded research so the work aligns with NIAID's broader adjuvant research priorities. Compared with standard investigator-initiated grants, this typically implies more programmatic coordination, shared objectives, and interaction with NIAID staff.
How is a cooperative agreement (U01) different from a typical research grant?
Based on the FOA description, a cooperative agreement generally involves more direct interaction with NIAID staff and greater emphasis on coordination. The goal is to help ensure funded projects generate mechanistic insights that are comparable, usable, and strategically valuable across the overall NIAID adjuvant research portfolio.
Which NIH institute is sponsoring this FOA?
The FOA is from NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases), part of NIH.
What are the CFDA numbers associated with this opportunity?
This FOA is listed under CFDA 93.855 (Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research) and CFDA 93.856 (Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research).
When was the FOA posted and what were the application due dates?
The FOA was posted on February 10, 2015. The original and final application due date was July 9, 2015.
Is this funding opportunity still active?
No. The FOA was archived on August 9, 2015, and the final application due date was July 9, 2015.
What was the estimated total funding amount for this FOA?
The estimated total funding level was about $4,000,000.
What was the award ceiling for individual awards?
The award ceiling was $350,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA states that no cost sharing or matching was required.
What types of organizations were eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad and included many domestic and non-domestic organizations. Eligible applicants included federal, state, county, city/township, and special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits (including 501(c)(3) and certain non-501(c)(3) organizations); for-profit organizations (including small businesses and entities other than small businesses); independent school districts; public and Indian housing authorities; and a wide range of tribal and minority-serving organizations.
Were foreign (non-U.S.) organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly mentions that foreign (non-U.S.) entities were eligible, along with U.S. territories or possessions and regional organizations.
Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA explicitly includes faith-based or community-based organizations among eligible applicants.
Which minority-serving institutions were explicitly mentioned as eligible?
The FOA explicitly mentions multiple minority-serving institution categories, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, AANAPISIs (Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities.
Where can applicants find the full (archived) announcement?
The FOA points to the NIH Guide link for the archived announcement: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AI-15-005.html
Who should be contacted for access or technical issues related to the FOA?
The FOA provides NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contacts for access or technical issues.
What is the overall rationale for investing in combination adjuvant mechanisms?
The FOA is framed as a targeted effort to translate prior investment in single-adjuvant research into a more advanced, mechanistically grounded understanding of how adjuvants interact when combined (including potential synergy or other interaction types). The expected payoff is actionable knowledge that helps vaccine developers choose and optimize adjuvant pairings to achieve stronger, more appropriate immune responses with a better balance between potency and tolerability.
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